Projects | Studio | Awards
PG - MAHR - Studio - 3 | Spring 2023 | 'Road' to Modernization: The Techno-material history
  • Student SHAH RICHA NILESH
  • Code PHR22281
  • Faculty Architecture
  • Tutor/s Sarah nicole Melsens,M Mallika
  • TA Binita Bose

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The idea of modernization comes with many pluralities, especially in an activity like road construction where several aspects need to be addressed like evolving materials, machinery, technology, labor, etc. Based on the documents found in the PWD Archives, this study elaborates on the construction history of Pune through the case study of the Old Mumbai-Pune Highway (NH48) which was known as the Bombay Poona Road. With the help of archival data of the construction of this specific road, there is an attempt to understand the material and technological aspects of road making in the 20th Century. 

Visual Analysis: Decoding the Construction Photographs
Reading Archives: A visit to PWD Archives, Pune
Primary Archival Sources: Bombay - Poona Road
Secondary Literature on Road-Making
Main Argument: Questioning the "Modernization"
Road-making in the 19th Century: A background
Parallel Timelines: Elements of road-making in 20th Century
Pre-Independence Era: The Phase of Experimentation and Commercialization
Post-Independence Era: The Phase of Development and Nationalism